The energy ministries of several West African countries have adopted a regional directive to deploy energy storage technologies, including batteries, across the region.
Politicians and experts convened in Accra, Ghana, to discuss the directive, which will amplify the role of energy storage in supporting the integration of solar, wind and hydrogen in Africa’s electricity grids.
The directive contains guidelines for grid-connected and off-grid applications to boost the region’s system flexibility and energy security. It covers the responsibilities of individual countries for developing energy storage projects, as well as broader regional coordination efforts and market design.
Strategies around safety for batteries and battery recycling and disposal were also included in the directive.
Among those present at the deliberation were the energy ministers of countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a group which includes Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Liberia, Guinea, Gambia, Cape Verde and Ivory Coast.
Finance, project development, grid and renewable energy technology experts also provided their input during a two-day discussion period before the directive was adopted on 22 October.
The ECOWAS countries will implement the directive with partners in the West African Power Pool in the interests of individual countries and the wider electricity market.
Ghana’s energy minister John Abdulai Jinapor used the Accra meeting to announce that Ghana is procuring a 200 MW battery with a 200 MW solar plant that will supply the power to charge the battery.
Compared to other West African countries, Ghana has high access to electricity (around 90% electrification) and it is one of the regional leaders in solar and storage. The government’s latest Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP) targets 1,970 MWh of battery energy storage out to 2030, as well as a strong focus on renewables-powered mini-grids, BESS pricing and grid integration, private investment in storage and second-life applications.
Back in March, Jinapor spoke about his intention to procure 200 MW of storage through competitive bidding processes. At the time, Ghana’s installed battery storage capacity was 10 MWh.
Elsewhere in West Africa, Senegal switched on its first solar-plus-storage project, Walo, in August 2025, providing 20 MWh of energy storage capacity in the north of the country. And Togo, which has an electrification rate below 50%, got financial backing from the French in October 2025 for a 55 MW battery.
With the right regulatory and pricing environment, West Africa’s energy storage ambitions could translate into real project results but for the moment most battery investment remains in North Africa and South Africa.
The post West African countries adopt energy storage directive appeared first on Energy Storage.
